Manitoba nurse representation gets a boost

The Association of Registered Nurses of Manitoba approves membership eligibility for all regulated nurses in the province; updates name

For Immediate Release – May 7, 2020

The Association of Registered Nurses of Manitoba has been renamed the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM). The name change was made to accurately represent membership, following a vote from members to expand membership to all nursing designations in the interest of promoting intra-professional collaboration.

“This is truly a historic moment in Manitoba nursing,”” said Jennifer Dunsford, president of ARNM. “Our long-term goal is to unify and strengthen the professional voice of nursing in Manitoba. By expanding to include all nurses in the province, we are looking forward to advocating and delivering programs and services comprehensively across the province.”

Minister Cameron Friesen congratulated the Association on this historic milestone.

“I congratulate the Association on this momentous announcement and expanding the Association’s role to support and work with all nurses in the province of Manitoba,” said Health, Senior and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen. “The Manitoba government recognizes the important contribution nurses make every day to our health-care system, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to working in partnership with the Association and to build the profession of nursing in Manitoba,” added Friesen.

“We see this as an ideal time to grow, and to share more stories with the public about the breadth of nursing,” added Dunsford. “Our members from across all settings have been at the forefront of the efforts against COVID-19.

2020 is the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and National Nursing Week runs from May 11-17, 2020 in Canada. This year, the theme of Nursing Week is A Voice to Lead—Nursing the World to Health.

“The theme of Nursing Week could not have been a better choice for this year,” added Dunsford. “We have been advocating strongly for safe quality work environments in all care settings and supporting enhanced public health measures to flatten the curve and take pressure off of the acute care system—these needs are increasingly clear to the public and not just people who work in healthcare.”